Case Study: How Hawarden High School Transformed Its School Meals with Dolce Catering

Client Overview

Hawarden High School, based in Flintshire, Wales, is one of the oldest schools in the country. With more than 1,000 pupils aged 11–18, the school sought to modernise its dining facilities and catering experience to meet the expectations of today’s secondary school students.

The Challenge

The school faced a common issue across the UK’s education sector: pupils wanted food that reflected the variety, quality and atmosphere they experienced outside of school. Traditional dining halls and outdated food offerings were failing to inspire, leading to reduced uptake of school meals.

The leadership team at Hawarden High School wanted to:

·         Increase uptake of both Free School Meals (FSM) and paid meals.

·         Improve the dining experience with a high street-inspired food court.

·         Deliver a cost-effective solution without burdening the school with upfront expenses.

The Solution

Dolce Schools Catering partnered with Hawarden High School to deliver a complete redesign and refit of the main dining area. Unlike standard catering providers, Dolce offered a fully managed service covering food, design and fit-out – all handled in-house by its team of experts.

Key elements included:

·         Full dining space overhaul – including new flooring, cladding, seating and lighting.

·         Creation of four themed food zones – Street Kitchen, Casa Brasilia, Italian Kitchen and the Toast Office – each offering diverse global flavours and custom menus.

·         No upfront costs for the school – Dolce funded the fit-out with the aim of increasing uptake to generate more revenue.

·         High street-style branding – visually appealing, on-trend designs to engage pupils and encourage meal purchases.

·         Fresh, nutritious menus – developed by Dolce’s team of chefs to balance taste, variety and health.

The Results

The impact of the redesign was immediate and measurable. Over the first four months (September–December 2024), the school reported:

·         98% uptake on Free School Meals – ensuring almost every eligible pupil accessed nutritious meals.

·         76% uptake on paid school meals – significantly above the national average.

·         Improved student satisfaction – pupils reported enjoying the variety, taste and speed of service.

One pupil commented:

“I really like all the different areas and being able to try different foods from around the world. The food is really tasty and much better than what we used to have. It gets very busy at lunchtime but the queues move quickly so it doesn’t take that long at all.”

Why It Worked

The success lay in Dolce’s holistic approach – combining catering expertise with interior design and branding. By creating a dining environment that felt contemporary and exciting, the project not only boosted uptake but also removed financial barriers for the school.

As the Headteacher summarised:

“The redesign has revolutionised the catering experience.”

Key Takeaways

·         A well-designed dining space can dramatically improve school meal uptake.

·         High street-inspired food courts resonate with secondary school pupils.

·         Partnering with a catering provider that manages food and fit-out under one roof creates consistent results.

·         Financially accessible solutions mean schools can transform catering without upfront investment.

About Dolce Schools Catering

Dolce Schools Catering provides fresh, nutritious meals to schools across the UK, with a unique offering that combines catering with expert dining space design and refitting. From menu innovation to complete food court creation, Dolce delivers everything schools need to engage pupils and boost meal uptake.